Coupling for vehicles



Mig 3, 1927.

FIG. l.

v FIG.2..

T. FRANKS COUPLING FOR VEHICLES Filed Aug. 24. 192e zsheets-sneet 1 as as? as 3 T. FRANKS May 3 1927.

COUPLING FOR VEHICLES Filed Aug. 24. 192e 2 sheets-sheet 2 FIG. 3.

Cil

litatented May 3, 1927.

rUNITED i STATES P ATE N T OF F I CE.

THOMAS FRANKS, F

WALSALL, ENGLAND.

COUPLING FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed August 24, 1926, Serial No.

f side of the vehicle.

Referring to the drawings Figure l is a perspective view showing couplingmechanism made in accordance with this invention in the locked position.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the locking member in the lifted, but not tilted, position.

Figure 3 is a corresponding view showing; the lockingi member in the tilted or fully released position, and

Figure 4 is a part sectional elevation on line Al--elot Figure l.

In the construction illustrated the coupling hook has its opening ll arranged in its upper edge, the side l2 oi the opening near the point of the hook being substantially vertical.

The coupling` hook is provided with a 'fiat sided pin l5. Arranged with its flat sides lo slightly tilted to the vertical, the upper part of the pin being` ltilted forwardly away from the vehicle. The pin projects from both sides ot the hook.

The locking member 2O is in the form of a stirrup and engages ou either side ot the hook.

This locking member is provided with an opening in its 't'orward edge and has upper and lower jaws 22 and 23 respectively above and beneath the opening, the upper jaws 22 serving to lock the opening 11 of the hook, and the lower jaws 23 receiving the couplinglink or member 25.

The stirrup like portion or back 2G of the locking' member isprovided with keyhole shaped slots 27 at either side engaginnI with the flat sided pin on the hook, that is slots having' a relatively wide end 2S and a* narrow part 29 extending Yfor the `greater part vof their length.

i The locking` member is further provided 131,277, and in Great Britain .Tune 11, 1926.

with an upwardly extending shank or connecting rod 30 which is pivoted to it at 31. The upper end ot' the rod 30 is provided with a slot B2.

The operating" mechanism comprises a rod 35 arranged transversly at the end of the vehicle and mounted in suitable bearings 36 so that it can be turned on itsown centre. rllhe two ends of the rods are provided with crank like handles 37 and intermediate these ends the operating` rod is provided with a double crank 38 having a crank pin 39 en-A gagging in the slot 32 in the upper part ot the connecting rod 30.

The slots 32 may be rather wider than the diameter of the pin carried by the crank or cranks of the operating rod.

'In operation when in its locking position,

the upper jaw 22 ot the locking member virtually closes the opening 11 of the hook, and when in this position'the narrow parts 29 of the slots in the locking member are slightly inclined to the vertical and substantially parallel with the flat sides ofthe pin on the coupling hook.

Thus, it the coupling link which is engaged with the hook should receive a jar causing it to strike the upper jaw of the locking member vertically upwards, then the locking member will not move into its released position, but will jam, owing to the fact that the narrow parts of its slots are not vertical..

The locking member is moved into its released position for uncoupling,` by turning the operating rod causing' the crank 38 thereon to litt the locking member. During this motion themlocking member slides upwardly and when it reaches its unlocked position it tilted about the centre of the flat sided pin l5, owing to the relative positions or alignment of the parts, causing the narrow parts of the slots in the locking member to move'out of line with the tlat sides ot the pin. The locking member will thus be sustained in its released position until it is given a rocking` movement tobring the sides of thenarrow parts of the slots back into line with the fiatside or sides oi the pin on the hook.

During the unlocking movement oi' the locking` member the lower jaws 23 thereot will automatically raise the coupling` link off the point ot the hook and either cause it to drop clear, or enable it to be pulled ott' by the separating` ot the vehicles. The operation of uncoupling is therefore completely eiifected by turning the operating rod on one of the vehicles, it being unnecessary to remove the coupling` link by a second operation.

After unlocking and uncoupling in this manner, the operatingy rod is moved back into its original position, lthe pin carried by the crank 36 of the operating rod moving to the bottom of the slot 32 in the upper part of the shank of the coupling member without, however, tilting the coupling member or causingl it to drop back into 'its locking position.

rlhe locking,V member remains in its released position until the coupling link is again placed in the hook. .Vhen this oe curs the weight ot the coupling link acts upon the lower jaws or extensions 23 of the lockingl member and imparts a rocking movement to the locking member, causing` the inner parts of the slots therein to move into line with the `llat side or sides of the pin on the coupling` hook so that the locking meinber now automatically drops into its locked position. It cannot be moved from this locked position by means of the coupling` link but only by again operating` the operating rod.

What I claim then is l. In a vehicle coupling, the combination oit a hook for receiving a couplingv member, a locking,` member mounted on the hook, said locking member being movable into a lowered position in which the mouth of the hook is barred and into a raised position in which the mouth ot the hook is left open, an extension on the locking` member serving` to raise the couplingmember clear o the hook as the lockingg` member moves to the raised position, a control disposed for operation from the side of the vehicle, and means 'tor moving the locking member to the raised position and retaining` it in the said position when a single movement is given to the control, said extension servine' to displace the locking; member from the raised position when a coupling` member is placed in the mouth of the hook.

2. Coupling apparatus for vehicles, com prising,y a hook for receiving a coupling` member; a locking member capable of sliding motion with respect to the hook either into a lowered position in which the mouth of the hook is barred or into a raised position in which the mouth oi' the hoolt is left open, said lockingmember beings; also capable of a limited pivotal motion when in the raised position, a guided mounting Yt'or the lockingA member serving to determine its sliding' motion and also serving to prevent said sldinpl motion taking place when the lockingl member has been raised and pivoted, an extenn sion on the locking; member serving to raise the coupling memberI clear oi the hook as the locking member is n'ioved to the raised position, saidl extension also serving; to reverse the pivotal movement of the locking' member and allow it to iall to 'the lowered position when a coupling ineniber is placed in the mouth oi'l the hook while the locking member is raised and pivoted, a control mounted adjacent to lthe side of the vehicle, and an op @rating device connecting the control with the lockinp` member and serviimY both to raise and pivot the locliinp, member by a single movement ot the control.

3. Coupling); apparatus for vehicles, comprising a hook "tor receiving` a coupling` member; a locking member movable into a lowered position in which the mouth oi the hook is barred and also movable into a raised position in which the mouth of the hook is lett open; said locking` member havino` a pin and slot mounting; the pia havinga flat side; the slot being relatively narrow for the greater part of its length and having` a relatively wide part at one end; the wide part of the slot allowing' the locking member to pivot into a tilted position when raised so to prevent the pin from entering` the narrow part whereby the locking; member is retained in the raised position and an extension on the locking member serving to raise the coupling member clear ot the hook as the locking member is raised; said extension also serving, when a coupling member is placed thereon, to pivot the locking member into a position allowing` the pin to enter the narrow part of the slot, whereby the locking member is caused to fall to the lowered position.

In witness whereof I aliix my signature.

THOMAS FRANKS.

tt S 

